Electric firing mechanism for guns and shells



(No Model.) Y

W. W. BRADLEY 82;J. R. HOLROYD. ELECTRIC FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS AND SHELLS.

No. 372,958. "Patented Nov. 8, 18'87.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICEO WILLIAM WV BRADLEY AND JAMES B. HOLROYD, OF WASHINGTON, DIS- TRIGT OF COLUMBIA.

4 ELEGTRIG FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS AND SHELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,958, dated Nov'ember 8, 1887. Application filed September :21, 1886. Serial No. 14,171. (No model.)

skilled in the art to which it' appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

Our invention has relation to bombs or torpedoes and means for 'projecting and exploding them, and has for its object to furnish a spherical torpedo loaded with gunpowder, gun-cotton, dynamite, nitro-glycerine, or other explosive compound, and a mortar, cannon, or pneumatic gun by'which it is to be projected, with means whereby both the gun and the torpedo may be fired by electricity, either by the gunner or by automatic machinery.

Our invention will be first fully described, and afterward specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the gun, the torpedo on its way from the gun, the coil of wire by which the bomb is to be reached by the electric current, and thestand for containing said coil, together with a plan-view of the automatic'circnit-closer or firing-board battery.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the auto- 1 matic circuit-closer or firing-board, and Fig. 3 isan end elevation of the same.

Likeletters of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur inthe various parts of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A is a mortar, cannon, or pneumatic gun suitably mounted. B is a spherical torpedo of a size to suit the caliber of the gun,to which is attached, by a span,C,and suitable snap-hooks, a double electric cable, D, wound upon a conical drum E, mounted on a pivot, e, and adjustable by means of a toggle and screw, E, to suit the elevation of the gun. From the bottom of the cone E the cable D is extended, separated into two parts, D and D", to a firing-board or circuit-closer, F, being connected to the tube terminals 9 9'. Upon the firing-board is mounted on the pedestals G G the brass shaft H, which carries ah ebonite cylinder, H, and a brass disk, K, provided across the edge with a score or slot, which engages a catch or pawl, L, pivoted on a pedestal, L, mounted on the firing-board and having the spring I, which keeps it normallyin contact with the disk,and a pawl, l, which forms a circuit-closer by contact with a brass plate, M, to which is attached a binding-screw, N. The binding-post g is insulated from the base-plate, and is connected,' .as shown,with one terminal of the torpedo-circuit and with one pole of the battery. The supports for the circuit-closer Qand metallic contact-spring O are insulated from the baseplate. The circuit-closerQ is connected with the other wire of the torpedo-circuit, and a metallic pin under the circuit-closer at g is in metallic contact with the base-plate and with one pole of the battery. The plate M is insulated from the base'plate. The operation will now be understood. pressed, the current flows from the upper pole of the battery through the igniter in A, back to the plate M, through key L and its sup- When the key L is de- 7 port to th'e'base-plate, across the base-plate to g, thence to the other pole of the battery. The depression of the key releases the rotating circuit-closer, which, after a partial revolution,brings pin R under spring 0 and closes a circuit from the upper pole of the battery to binding-post 9, out on D to torpedo, back on D" to theend of Q, thence by Q to pin R, posts G G, and by base-plate to g and the other pole of the battery.

O is the contact-sprlng, supported by a brass pedestal, 1?,to which is connected another circuit-closer, Q, acting upon a brass plate connected to binding-post g. The brass shaft H is-prolonged, and hason it a 'train of gearing or clock-work, as shown at H, by which cording as said rotation,

which are connected the wires of an electric primer inserted in the vent of the gun. One of these binding-screws, t, is connected to the binding'serew N, and the other, 1, is connected to the battery. The battery, or, as it may be, dynamo machine, is of sufiicient power to fire through the resistance of the cable D.

When the torpedo is placed in the gun or mortar, (the battery-current being broke at the battery,) the primer-wires are connecte d to the binding-screws t t in shelf '1, and then the battery-connection is made. "When ready to fire, the circuit-closer L is-pressed at its outer end, thus releasing N from the slotpr score in disk K and-allowing the shaft H and its ebonite cylinder H to rotate, at the same time bringing the point Z'into contact with the brass plate M, thus closing the circuit through the primer and firing the gun. When the ebonite cylinder has rotated a sufficient distance, the brass spring 0 comes in contact with the pin R, thus closing the torpedo-circuit. The rotation of the ebonite cylinder is governed by the pressure L on disk K, ac-

itis desired to accelerate or retard such adjustment being made to suit the time of flight for the'torpedo.

. through contact on end inner ends and ,flaking the cable on the ground or deck Should it be necessary to fire the torpedo before the revolution is completed,the circuitcloser Q may be brought in contact with the brass plate secured to binding-screw 9, thus closing the circuit by hand, instead of automatically, and bringing the torpedo perfectly under the control of the operator. The firing-circuit in this case is from the upper pole of battery to g, through torpedo-circuit by D D" to g, (and lever Q being depressed,) of Q over to lower pole of battery. Should apneumatic gun be used, the circuit through the primer is not used. The cable may be used in the form of a coil having the torpedo connected to the drawing it'theuce, or by of a ship. a

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A gun or mortar mounted on a carriage and adjustable as to elevation and inclination, in combination with a separate carriage, a conical mandrel or reel mounted thereon capable of adj ustment to correspond to the inclination of the gun, and cable to coil thereon, carrying at its outer end a torpedo to be fired from the gun, as set forth.

2. In combination, a gun or mortar, an elec-' tric primer for firing the same, a cable conductors connecting an shaft, a circuit-closing nected to a torpedo to conductors connecting the gun and torpedo with a. battery, and a battery and a firingboard provided with circuit-closers for consecutively closing the circuit through the pnmer for firing the gun and the torpedo during its flight, as set forth. 3. In combination, a gun, a battery, conelectric primer on the gun with the battery, a cable connecting the battery with a torpedo, and a firing-board provided with means for closing the circuit through the primer and cally closing the circuit through the torpedo, as set forth.

4. In combination, a gun adjustable as to inclination, an electric cable connecting with a torpedo, acone-carriage to receive said cable, adjustable to correspond with the ad justment of the gun, a battery, and a firingboard connected to the gun and projectile, whereby the projectile may be discharged and then exploded at a predetermined time, as set forth.

5. The combination of, a gun-firing circuit, a torpedo-firing circuit, a battery for both circuits, a circuit-closer for the gun-circuit, and a rotatable circuit-closer for the torpedo-circuit normally locked against rotation by the gun-circuit closer, whereby the torpedo-circuit is closed a determinate period after the gun-circuit, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of an electric circuit through a gun, an electric circuit through an explosive projectile from the gun, a battery, a circuit-closer for the gun-circuit, and a timecircuit closer for the projectile-circuit, the

afterward automati be fired from the gun, 6o.

former normally locking the latter against I movement, but releasing the same when itself operated.

7. The combination of a torpedo-firing circuit, a battery in said circuit, and a circuitcloser in said circuit, consisting of a rotatable pin carried by said shaft at one terminal of the circuit, acontactspring in the path of said pin at the other terminal of the circuit, means for normally locking the shaft against rotation, and a releasing device to unlock the shaft, for the purposeset forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we aifix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. BRADLEY. JAMES R. HOLROYD.

Witnesses:

V JAB. A. TAIT,

Wig. B.- MAROHE.

IIO 

